CJfilms
05-11-2010, 02:45 PM
There are a few things that need to be discussed before the next event....aside from water or track prep!
First off, flat tires!
We know this is an enduro...we know you are not going to want to come into the pits every time a tire starts running low on air. But, you have to keep this in mind...when the tires start going flat, we want to get the car to safety before the tire blows off going a high speed in one of the turns and causes a flip. Aside from the whole wheel breaking off and causing a flip, the tire shredding away and the rim catching the dirt is the next best thing to cause your car to flip.... If we are black flagging you for a flat tire, it is because it is ON the rim. Plus, getting your car into the pits with a flat tire and changing it and making it back out may only cost you 2-3 laps....when you wait until the tire itself is either gone or just hanging onto the rim....how many laps do you think will pass when your car is sitting at the top of turn 1 as you cannot get the grip needed because your wheel is just spinning in the tire?
Scanners:
I know there have been issues, but from now on if you are ignoring a call over the scanner, you will start losing laps.... We can tell when someone we KNOW has a scanner and blatantly ignores the call for X laps then finally listens. If we are calling you for something, black flagging or whatever, please heed the call!
Two-way radios:
I have received a report from someone in the pits that drivers are using two-way radios to communicate with spotters. No way! If we catch you with a two-way scanner, pack it up and go home....instant DQ...this is the only warning.
Mirrors:
The rear-view mirrors were supposed to be removed. It's in the rules and is just as important as following the other rules.....it's been two races now, if we catch you with the rear-view still installed......DQ.
Alcohol & Beer:
As our rules state, there in no alcohol/beer allowed in the pits until AFTER the racing is complete. Someone was caught with an open beer can this past race and they were instructed to throw it away.....you do not want your driver getting DQ'd because you had a beer while they were racing.....no alcohol or beer until AFTER the races, please!
On the Fence:
Frank Holman, our favorite jolly security guard at the front gate has informed me that people are STILL standing right against the fence off of turn 1. We've told people about this before....this is a liability issue. You cannot stand right behind that fence and watch the races. Please sit in the stands provided off of turn 2 or stand far enough back from the fence. Frank will be painting a safety line at the next event...if anyone crosses the line, he will be removing you from the pits. We understand you are there to aid your driver in the event they come into the pits with a flat tire, but you won't be much help if you have been removed from the pits.....
Transponder checks:
Everyone did a great job during the transponder check....the only thing I want to remind you all about is please leave space between you and the car in front of you. We send the cars out with about a straightaway length between cars....somehow, by the time the cars get around to the front stretch, they forget to leave space and sometimes cars come by two at a time or one right after another. Please leave space....that space buys Erin the time she needs to enter you into the computer. Without that space, your unit may pick up.....but the wrong number may be entered.....then you have to hope the other driver that has your number in the computer drops out early in the race so we can find and solve the problem.
Also about line-ups:
When we send you onto the track.....you don't have to go real slow. Some drivers putz around at 20 MPH....once your on the track, open it up, let 'er rip....just leave the space we ask for. The longer it takes you to drive around the track, the longer it takes us to finish lining everyone up.
Lastly about line-ups:
Some people were asking why we did away with the LETTERED GROUPS. I simply forgot to do it for the first race and since then, we have had no problems....so we did away with it! I want to thank everyone for a great job you all did reporting to the speedway and waiting for us to line you up in the infield rather than just bunch up everywhere....GREAT JOB!!!!! I prefer to have one long row of cars for the Small Cars since they are...small....and two rows for the Big Cars....since they are big.... This way, the cars stretch out from the beginning of turn 1 to the end of turn 2. It is simpler to get the cars rolling and keep them rolling once on the track and simply hold up the second row if the field is starting to come around. But, once again...great job!!!
Want to get out?:
At the driver's meeting we reminded everyone to wave their hands inside the car if they wanted out and KEEP waving them. Everyone who wanted out this race did JUST THAT....THANK YOU! The hardest thing we have to do is watch the race and watch to see if you are waving OK or I WANT OUT! When drivers wave their hands and then stop, we have to assume they are trying to start the car again and they do not want out. Once we stop the race to get you out, the car is dead and has to be left where it is....thank you all for helping us help you this past race...again....good job!
That's all I have for now.....but I will think of a few more things soon!
First off, flat tires!
We know this is an enduro...we know you are not going to want to come into the pits every time a tire starts running low on air. But, you have to keep this in mind...when the tires start going flat, we want to get the car to safety before the tire blows off going a high speed in one of the turns and causes a flip. Aside from the whole wheel breaking off and causing a flip, the tire shredding away and the rim catching the dirt is the next best thing to cause your car to flip.... If we are black flagging you for a flat tire, it is because it is ON the rim. Plus, getting your car into the pits with a flat tire and changing it and making it back out may only cost you 2-3 laps....when you wait until the tire itself is either gone or just hanging onto the rim....how many laps do you think will pass when your car is sitting at the top of turn 1 as you cannot get the grip needed because your wheel is just spinning in the tire?
Scanners:
I know there have been issues, but from now on if you are ignoring a call over the scanner, you will start losing laps.... We can tell when someone we KNOW has a scanner and blatantly ignores the call for X laps then finally listens. If we are calling you for something, black flagging or whatever, please heed the call!
Two-way radios:
I have received a report from someone in the pits that drivers are using two-way radios to communicate with spotters. No way! If we catch you with a two-way scanner, pack it up and go home....instant DQ...this is the only warning.
Mirrors:
The rear-view mirrors were supposed to be removed. It's in the rules and is just as important as following the other rules.....it's been two races now, if we catch you with the rear-view still installed......DQ.
Alcohol & Beer:
As our rules state, there in no alcohol/beer allowed in the pits until AFTER the racing is complete. Someone was caught with an open beer can this past race and they were instructed to throw it away.....you do not want your driver getting DQ'd because you had a beer while they were racing.....no alcohol or beer until AFTER the races, please!
On the Fence:
Frank Holman, our favorite jolly security guard at the front gate has informed me that people are STILL standing right against the fence off of turn 1. We've told people about this before....this is a liability issue. You cannot stand right behind that fence and watch the races. Please sit in the stands provided off of turn 2 or stand far enough back from the fence. Frank will be painting a safety line at the next event...if anyone crosses the line, he will be removing you from the pits. We understand you are there to aid your driver in the event they come into the pits with a flat tire, but you won't be much help if you have been removed from the pits.....
Transponder checks:
Everyone did a great job during the transponder check....the only thing I want to remind you all about is please leave space between you and the car in front of you. We send the cars out with about a straightaway length between cars....somehow, by the time the cars get around to the front stretch, they forget to leave space and sometimes cars come by two at a time or one right after another. Please leave space....that space buys Erin the time she needs to enter you into the computer. Without that space, your unit may pick up.....but the wrong number may be entered.....then you have to hope the other driver that has your number in the computer drops out early in the race so we can find and solve the problem.
Also about line-ups:
When we send you onto the track.....you don't have to go real slow. Some drivers putz around at 20 MPH....once your on the track, open it up, let 'er rip....just leave the space we ask for. The longer it takes you to drive around the track, the longer it takes us to finish lining everyone up.
Lastly about line-ups:
Some people were asking why we did away with the LETTERED GROUPS. I simply forgot to do it for the first race and since then, we have had no problems....so we did away with it! I want to thank everyone for a great job you all did reporting to the speedway and waiting for us to line you up in the infield rather than just bunch up everywhere....GREAT JOB!!!!! I prefer to have one long row of cars for the Small Cars since they are...small....and two rows for the Big Cars....since they are big.... This way, the cars stretch out from the beginning of turn 1 to the end of turn 2. It is simpler to get the cars rolling and keep them rolling once on the track and simply hold up the second row if the field is starting to come around. But, once again...great job!!!
Want to get out?:
At the driver's meeting we reminded everyone to wave their hands inside the car if they wanted out and KEEP waving them. Everyone who wanted out this race did JUST THAT....THANK YOU! The hardest thing we have to do is watch the race and watch to see if you are waving OK or I WANT OUT! When drivers wave their hands and then stop, we have to assume they are trying to start the car again and they do not want out. Once we stop the race to get you out, the car is dead and has to be left where it is....thank you all for helping us help you this past race...again....good job!
That's all I have for now.....but I will think of a few more things soon!